IMHO.

Slay the Spire vs Monster Train

Slay the Spire and Monster Train both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Slay the Spire (2019) is 1 year older than Monster Train (2020). Both sit near 97% positive on Steam (Slay the Spire: 75,305 reviews, Monster Train: 12,182). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Slay the Spire

Choose Slay the Spire if you want an Indie game with Steam Leaderboards, Adjustable Text Size, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 75,305 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Monster Train

Choose Monster Train if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 20% cheaper on the Steam Store. 12,182 Steam reviews back the pick.

Both Slay the Spire and Monster Train sit in Strategy on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (97.5% vs 96.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.

Side-by-side comparison

Slay the Spire vs Monster Train — Steam metadata comparison
Slay the Spire — Steam game coverSlay the SpireMonster Train — Steam game coverMonster Train
Released20192020
GenresStrategy, IndieStrategy
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Playable
Price6.24 USD4.99 USD
Steam reviews97.5% positive (75,305 reviews)96.7% positive (12,182 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlyMulti-player
DevelopersMega CritShiny Shoe

Side by side

Slay the Spire vs Monster Train — FAQ

Which is better, Slay the Spire or Monster Train?
On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Slay the Spire sits at 97.5% positive (75,305 reviews), Monster Train at 96.7% (12,182). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
Should I play Slay the Spire or Monster Train first?
If you want chronology, Slay the Spire (2019) came out before Monster Train (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are Slay the Spire and Monster Train similar?
They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
Does Slay the Spire have multiplayer like Monster Train?
No. Monster Train supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Slay the Spire is listed as single-player only.
Slay the Spire vs Monster Train — Verdict (2026) · imho.run